NZ Archives

[clint]

I'm looking for some advice from the authors and researchers out there in regards to visiting the NZ Archives in Wellington. I'm interested in gathering information on 4 (BR) Squadron RNZAF and their time in the Pacific in WWII and the training of Air Gunners for service in the Pacific.

I have been onto the NZ Archives website to see what I need to do in regards to viewing documents but am hoping someone out there can spell it out to a newbie in a step by step way. Finding the time to get to Wellington is another challenge so also wondering if anyone has ordered copies of documents from them and is it a easy process?

This is all for for finding out more about a family member who served in the Pacific and am attempting to do it between work and work related study. So it is all in an infant stage at the moment.

And of course if anyone has any information on the topics above I would be most interested!

Many thanks.

[Dave Homewood]

You can take digital photos of the documents there, which saves so much time rather than copying info out in writing with pencil (the other option). You need to fill in a form that covers you to do that.

Before you go, email them ordering the first five documents you want to see, telling them the day you are visiting. That way they have them ready and waiting when you arrive. If you want more than five you have to hand the first ones back and only then order again on their computer, and then they take half an hour or more (often an hour) to retrieve them from downstairs. So select your first ones wisely.

Ordering copies of squadron documents will get exceedingly costly, some of the squadron record books can be two inches tick and contain well over 1000 pages! And you might get it copied and then find it was not what you wanted. It's best to go there yourself and spend a day there.

I'd love to help but No. 4 (BR) Squadron is one of the few GR and BR squadrons I do not yet have much documentation on.

[Dave Homewood]

Also, as you say No. 4 (BR) Squadron I assume you are only interested in the late war Ventura era?

You have to be careful if you were ordering copies by email as you may may end up with Hudson or Mustang era documents. Some of their online descriptions are very dubious, I have had them bring up postwar TAF stuff when it was labelled as wartime in the past. Frustrating, but if you're on site you can return the file and re-order another, but if you had paid for them to copy and post it, you're stuffed.

[clint]

He served with 4 squadron from January 1944 till the end of the war so he flew in Hudson's when it was a General Reconnaissance Squadron and Ventura's when it converted to Bomber Reconnaissance. I want to research both era's but my main focus will be the Ventura period.

[Dave Homewood]

OK, cool.

[clint]

Thanks for the advice by the way.